Matrix band



Feb. 22, 194-9. H, L 2,462,356

MATRIX BAND Filed March 25, 1946 INVENTOR. /o ward C4 Patented Feb. 22, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT" 0 F FIlCfE MATRIX BAND Howard L. Call, Ogden, Utah Application March 25, 1946, Serial No. 656,940

2 Claims.

My invention relates to dental instruments and has for its object to provide new and highly efficient matrix retainer bands for forming the band encircling the single tooth which is being filled when such filling comes between abutting teeth. It is necessary to band the tooth with a metal band to insure that the filling be properly compacted into the cavity and the common practice is to band the tooth, holding the metal band in place with a matrix retainer clamp well known to the trade. When the filling has partially set it is desired to remove the clamp from the filling, but in so doing many fillings are ruined and must be replaced. In some cases the dentist cuts the metal clamp in half, drawmatrix band to encircle the tooth, each band being made alike but each being provided with a slanting out having one portion wider than the rest to band the tooth, but when used in conjuncture there is a V-shaped recess at the top of the bands where the filling is desired to contact the adjacent tooth to fill the contact space between the abutting teeth near the crown of the teeth. Thus with the two bands each may be removed separately without disturbing the filling in any manner, the narrower portion of the bands being easily removed by drawing the wider portion out away from the tooth and then withdrawing the narrower portion from between the teeth under the overlap of the filling, leaving the contact point adjacent the next tooth intact.

These objects I accomplish with the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which similar numerals and letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views and as described in the specification forming a part of this application and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a single tooth being filled with the base encircled by the bands clamped in place by the tensioning clamp.

Figure 2 is a face view of three teeth with my bands in place therearound.

Figure 3 is an end view of a tooth with my 2 1 bands in place, showing the v-shaped recess to permit the overlap of the filling.

Figure 4 is a face view of one of the bands.

Figure 5 is a face view of the other band.

Figure 6 is a face view of the two bands held together as they would be when ready to be placed around the tooth more to illustrate their respective positions as to a manner of forming the V-shaped recess at the top for permitting overlap of the filling.

Figure 7 is a view of Figure 6 showing the two bands as they would appear when first being drawn apart, as would be the case when withdrawing them from a tooth after it has been filled.

In the drawings I have shown the tooth to be filled as A, the filling as B, the contact point between adjacent teeth as C, and the matrix retainer clamp as D.

The two bands are shown as 5 and 6 and each is identical in form, each having a narrow tail 1, wider body 8, slanting incline 9 from the tail to the full Width of the body and narrower leg IE not so narrow as the tail but so formed that when overlaid as shown in Figure 6 the length of the two members will be equal and will form wider central areas spaced by a V-shaped recess H therebetween formed by the slanting inclines 9 of each band.

The operation of the invention is as follows:

The two bands are placed around the tooth as shown in Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings with the slanting incline 9 of each band opposed to the other incline 9, leaving the triangular shaped recess H therebetween. The legs l0 and tails l are secured in the retainer clamp D and this is tightened, drawing the bands tightly around the base of the tooth, leaving the recess II at the point between the teeth where it is desired to build up a contact point. When the tooth is filled and the contact point C made on the filling and the filling has set sufiicient to warrant it the clamp is released, and the bands removed by drawing them away fromeach other as shown in Figure 7, each hand then being drawn from the tooth separately, thereby leaving the contact point C intact and in proper position.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. A matrix band for dentists comprising a pair of like formed thin metal strips having one row extended tail and a leg from the opposite 10 end thereof the two bands to be used overlapping the tail of one band on the broader body of the next, the broader bodies being spaced to form a V-shaped opening between the two broader bodies above the; overlapping tails for ease in 15 withdrawing the' bands from the tooth without affecting the filling therebetween.

HOWARD L. CALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 369,701 Fletcher Sept. 13, 1887 606,460 Ivory June 28, 1898 OTHER REFERENCES Catalog of S. S. White Dental Manufacturing 00., June 1902, Operative Instruments, page 94. 

